YOU MAKE ME CRAZY - Introduction

YOU MAKE ME CRAZY! Who are these people that seem to make us crazy? How can we survive these relationships God's way?

We all have relationships that drive us crazy. Whether it's a boyfriend or girlfriend, spouse, sibling, parent, co-worker, or crazy relative you see once a year at Thanksgiving, a crazy-maker can really make life difficult. The YMMC Series will help bring sanity to your relationships so you can do more than just coexist. It will help you learn how to connect with the crazy-makers in your life.

In this series we’re looking at how to deal with the crazy making people in our own lives, but we’re also looking at the crazy making thoughts, attitudes, feelings and actions that we ourselves are foisting on people. I must always be willing to look at my craziness first before I look at someone else’s.

This is the only way to break the stranglehold that anger can have on every one of us. Our own anger is a major tool that Satan uses to take advantage of us. Anger can have devastating effects on us Spiritually, Emotionally, Relationally, Financially, Vocationally, Intellectually and Physically.

Everyone is somebody's difficult person.

Today we identified six of the most common types of crazy makers (there are hundreds). As you read these descriptions, you will more than likely see yourself in one or more of them.

Demanding

These are The Little Dictators of life. They are the little Napoleons. They are Bossy, Pushy, Controlling, and Intimidating. They tend to dominate every conversation. They often turn every conversation into a power struggle. They make unrealistic demands on your life, your time and your schedule. They push, manipulate and coerce to try to get you to do what they want. They’re demanding, and it drives you crazy. They’re the little dictators of life.

Disapproving

I call them The Unpleasables. They are highly critical. Your best is never good enough. They always want more. They are Negative, Pessimistic and Judgmental. They’re perfectionists. They love to point out your mistakes. You’re never good enough for them.

Deafening

They’re loud. They’re loud mouths. They are The Megaphones of life. They like to talk and they often talk at 120 decibels. If you have a Megaphone on the phone you will not get off for at least fifteen minutes because they will just keep on talking. They will talk you into surrender. They will talk you into the ground. They love to argue. They could argue all day long.

Destructive

These are people who have uncontrolled anger. I call them The Volcanoes. You can spot a volcano from afar. You never know when they’re going to erupt. But when they erupt you know it. They've got a temper like Mount Vesuvius or like Mount Saint Helens. When they explode and blow up they leave scorching hot lava burning everything in the path. If you have a volcano in your life you tend to walk on eggshells part of the time. The family will live in fear of when the next blow up is going to happen. There’s a lot of tension and the burn causalities are quite high. These are the destructive crazy makers, the volcanoes.

Discontented

Discontented crazy makers get their feelings hurt very, very easily. They’re very sensitive. They’re very touchy. They’re very thin skinned and they whine a lot. They can be called The Cry Babies. They hold daily pity parties. They host the party and they like to moan and mourn “Poor Me!” They’re chronic complainers and they've got a martyr complex and they get their attention by whining. When they whine they get that nasally sound, whining all the time. It just grates on you like fingernails on a blackboard. These are the Cry Babies. They’re never happy.

Demeaning

These people are The Smart Mouths. The smart mouths are rude, they’re insulting and they use caustic and sarcastic language. They might even curse. More than just cursing, complaining and caustic they’re bubble busters. They like to bust your bubble. They like to wear your dream down. They love to deflate you. They joy in telling you how you don’t measure up. They’re disrespectful and they can be petty and they can be mean. These are the smart mouths. People who are rude the majority of the time are people who have enormous insecurities.

The only effective way you can be of any good to a crazy maker is to be fully surrendered to God. He is the true source of love. You can not love difficult people in your life without God.

A big part of this series will be to help us all know how to better relate to those who are closest to us--husbands, wives, children, parents, extended family. I will be using our StrenghtsFinder talents to help guide us each towards more peaceful, rich, and enjoyable relationships. If you have not yet completed the StrengthsFinder test, please go to the link below to purchase a code to take the online test ($9.99 per test):

(https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/Purchase/?utm_source=nobooks&utm_medium=webreferral&utm_campaign=strengthsdashboard)

Send me your test results and we will make cards for the bulletin board.

Next week, we will study the SIX KEYS TO PEACEFUL RELATIONSHIPS.